Chapter of the Time Bird

The world lost its color, and all things fell silent.

Everything in the world is dull and uninteresting, not worth looking forward to.

Dugu Qing was immersed in longing, repeatedly sorting through her memories, layer by layer, peeling back the layers.

Those clues he had previously overlooked became intertwined, forming a complete puzzle that brought the cruel truth to the surface.

Fern... the person she likes is probably herself!

Ambiguous hints, cautious efforts... Fern seemed to have brought it up more than once, hinting and probing, only to back down timidly...

What is she afraid of?

Afraid of rejection? Or afraid of holding yourself back...?

That tiny little girl, she thought so much even at such a young age.

How ridiculous that I always thought Fern was an innocent and romantic little girl!

He treated Fern, who had lost both her parents, like a little brother, presumptuously comforting her and acting silly all over the streets, playing some really stupid games, like roasting sweet potatoes and stealing watermelons...

I never imagined... that I'd always been the one who received the most tolerance and favoritism.

Hateful!

What was I doing back then?!

Why not cherish your childhood sweetheart instead of studying magic and swordsmanship? You're such a jerk.

So much time wasted...

Fern must have felt so regretful! Dying alone, filled with sorrow and despair...

Thinking of the painful memories, a sharp, piercing pain suddenly gripped my heart.

Dugu Qing covered her eyes with her hand, and crystal tears fell in a stream, soaking her sleeves.

He cried for a long time, until all his tears had dried, and then, mustering his courage again, he walked toward Fern's house.

Fern's House

Serie's student, Xuezhi, the village chief of the Sword Village, is watering flowers in front of her door, holding a watering can.

Dugu Qing.

Xuezhi raised her eyes, saw Dugu Qing, and a look of joy flashed in her eyes. She slowly walked towards him.

"Is this Lord Dugu Qing? I'm Xuezhi! The village chief of the Sword Village, do you remember me?"

Dugu Qing looked at the aged Xuezhi, whose skin was wrinkled, hair was gray, and who looked emaciated.

What came to mind was her adorable image of standing on tiptoe, comparing her height with Frieren's.

Unexpectedly, in just a few decades, she has aged so much that she can no longer straighten her back.

Time is truly cruel and merciless!

"After you left, I practiced magic diligently, then came to the Magic City, passed the First-Class Mage Exam, and was accepted as a student by Serie."

Looking at the stunningly handsome young man before her, Xuezhi felt as if she had returned to the scene of her first meeting with Dugu Qing. Overjoyed, she began to recount many past events.

"Really! You're quite remarkable. But isn't this Fern's former residence?"

"Yes! This is Lady Fern's former residence. After her death, Lady Frieren returned here and left behind many of the Grimoire and magical tools that Lady Fern had left there, asking me to pass them on to you. I've waited three years, and finally, I've met you."

Xuezhi looked at Dugu Qing, her eyes filled with the joy of completing her mission.

Fern's things, to be handed over to himself?

Dugu Qing suddenly realized, her heart ached, and her face flushed slightly. So even Frieren knew that Fern liked her!

I'm so stupid...

"Plz follow me."

Xuezhi led the way, taking Dugu Qing into the courtyard and pushing open the wooden door of the main room.

The old wooden door creaked and rattled, and a familiar scent wafted out.

Dugu Qing's eyes were slightly red as she looked at the furnishings in the room, her gaze slowly sweeping over every corner.

A desk, a sofa, stacks of Grimoire, and magical artifacts arranged haphazardly... all came into view one after another.

In a daze, Dugu Qing seemed to see Fern reading, cooking, washing clothes, and living her life inside the house. Grief overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"After that epic and devastating battle, Lady Fern built this house, and she waited here for ten years... Later, at Lady Frieren's invitation, she went to the west coast, slaying countless Ocean Demons and becoming famous throughout the world. Ten years later, she returned here, and from then on, she never left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains until her death..."

Xuezhi bent over and pulled a heavy box from under the bed, placing it in front of Dugu Qing.

"How... did she die!"

"I died of old age, naturally!" Xuezhi answered softly.

Dugu Qing let out a long sigh, sat down on the sofa, closed his eyes wearily, and quickly fell asleep.

In my dream, Kraft's figure slowly appeared, repeatedly saying the same sentence.

"Sooner or later you will make a terrible mistake and suffer terribly. Then..."

The next day, early morning.

Dugu Qing covered her head, feeling dizzy, and woke up in bed.

Remembering Kraft's words from the previous night, he rushed to the storage box without even putting on his shoes, hurriedly opening it as if searching for something.

He picked up a Grimoire, intending to put it aside, when his gaze suddenly swept across the cover and he saw a few elegant small characters on it.

The Chapter of the Time Bird

"You even anticipated this, Frieren!"

Dugu Qing recognized the mark left by Frieren at a glance. His eyes reddened slightly, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart—it turned out that he owed and let down so many people.

He picked up the Grimoire, closed the door, sat on the bed, and began to read it page by page, day and night.

Three days passed in a flash, and Dugu Qing finally finished reading the Chapter of the Time Bird and learned the magic to return his consciousness to the past.

"In that case, I'm leaving. Goodbye!"

Seeing that Dugu Qing had emerged from her grief and was now focused on studying magic, Xuezhi left with great relief.

Dugu Qing cast concealment and Barrier Magic around the house, returned to the main hall, sat on the sofa, took the Holy Scripture, chanted incantations, and cast Miracle Magic.

With a tilt of the head, consciousness breaks free from the constraints of the present moment and rushes against the current into the past.

Forty-five years before the death of the great mage, Fern.

The Northern Countries, the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

"Haha! I'm unkillable, Dugu Qing! Let me go now, or I'll outlive you!"

From the boundless depths of the earth, the Demon King's voice, like thunder, faintly echoed.

Dugu Qing looked around and instantly realized that he had transmigrated to a world where the Demon King had not yet been destroyed.

Kraft and Frieren's hard work paid off!

But... right now I'm suppressing the Demon King, how could I possibly have a chance to leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and see Fern!

"Perhaps I can create a spell to send a clone of myself to see Fern and convey my longing."

Dugu Qing had a flash of inspiration, and his mind was filled with creativity.

While mobilizing his immense magical power to suppress the Demon King, he also freed up his energy to experiment with new spells.

Time flies, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Dugu Qing created the Clone Magic.

He separated a wisp of energy, which flew out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and towards the courtyard house not far away.